


Uncharted Territory

by dragonydreams



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post Episode s02e13 Land of the Lost, introspective piece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 00:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10204562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonydreams/pseuds/dragonydreams
Summary: Rip doesn't know what to do with his newly realized feelings.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and Phil Klemmer.
> 
> Betas: Thank you to shanachie for looking this over for me.

It wasn't right, these thoughts and feelings he was having. On so many different levels. 

It was far too soon after Miranda and Jonas's murders for him to be developing...feelings...for someone else. Never mind the fact that the new object of his affections was his ship's AI.

Time Masters weren't supposed to have feelings for anyone. Was he defective for having fallen first for Miranda and then Jonah, and now for Gideon? Or did his ability and desire to love make him better than his former bosses?

He had loved Miranda deeply. He had been willing to give up his lifelong dream of being a Time Master for her; if only she hadn't beaten him to it. 

If only Miranda had known that he would become much closer to someone else during the time that he was away from her. 

Gideon was his constant companion. Other people may have joined him on board the ship, but Gideon was his constant. 

When he had nearly lost himself to Calvert and Jonah Hex, it had been Gideon who reminded him of his mission and convinced him that he needed to move on and allow history to happen. Even if it meant leaving one lover for another. Neither of which were _her_.

Of course, back then he never would have entertained thoughts of Gideon in the role of lover. She was his ship's artificial intelligence. She provided him with information and kept him connected to the Time Masters. 

Over time, she became his confidant and his friend. The being that he trusted the most; perhaps even more than his own wife. Gideon knew him better than anyone. 

Just as he knew her.

That he loved her wasn't even a question. It was the deep love and affection that one has for their best friend.

Until a power hungry speedster kidnapped his brainwashed self and remade him into someone that he didn't know, and was pretty sure he wouldn't want to meet, even if he could.

Until he found himself - his true self - locked away in his own hellish version of the Waverider where his best friend had a human body.

At the time, kissing Gideon had seemed like the most natural thing in the world. How else does one express the deep love and affection they have for their partner? 

Except that now he was left with some very confusing thoughts and feelings for his best friend. 

Has he just betrayed the woman he destroyed the Time Masters trying to save? He had turned against his Masters and become an outlaw in his efforts to try to prevent Miranda and Jonas from dying, and here he was, less than two years later kissing another woman. One that he was realizing that he had very deep feelings for.

Would Miranda hate him for enjoying the kiss? Would she be glad that he was finally accepting that she was gone and attempting to move on? Would she be disgusted that the first person he has even wanted to kiss after her was his AI? 

Knowing Miranda, she'd think it was hilarious. He could just hear her saying, "Only you would fall for someone who you couldn't be with after losing me. Don't let my death keep you from loving again. You have so much love to give. Don't be alone."

He wondered if this had happened before. Were there records of other captains who fell for their AIs? He supposed he could ask Gideon, but he couldn't ask her something like that. Maybe someday, but not now when he was still confused.

The Miranda in his head was right. How could he allow himself to even entertain the thought of a physical relationship with Gideon? She had no physical body, not like she had inside his mental prison. 

Here, in the real world, she was his ship. They could still talk and share intimacies, but not physical intimacy. No matter how much he may long to do so.

The only chance for something like that happening was in his dreams. While he supposed that would have to do, it wouldn't be nearly enough.

Especially now that he knew that Gideon not only remembered the kiss too, but had enjoyed it. 

He supposed that he could ask Gideon to fabricate an android body for her consciousness to inhabit, but that would be selfish. Wouldn't it? Would he even want her that way? As a facsimile of a human? 

He knew that they would have to talk about it again, but not yet. He needed to figure out how he felt about these newly realized feelings before he could tell his best friend that he might very well be in love with her.

The End


End file.
